As the president Otto Perez Molina's resigned after he faced charges of corruption in the court, Maldonado was affirmed the President. Maldonado was serving as Vice President in May.

The court has has ordered Perez to be held in prison while hearings over his alleged role in a customs-corruption scandal continue.

The attorney general's office has said it plans to bring charges against Perez for illicit association, taking bribes and customs fraud, though he has not yet been formally charged. The hearing will continue on Friday.

Guatemala will hold elections on Sunday to choose Perez's successor, in a climate of widespread outrage over the corruption scandal and broad rejection of the traditional political elite.